Tuesday, October 27, 2015

I just found that the Wesleyan Potters linked to my blog so I thought I should post something new. I have started many blog posts since my last one in January but none have been finished enough to hit the "publish" button. Maybe some day I will pull myself together enough to write. Until then here are some photos of the work that I will put in the sale.

This piece won first place for mixed media in the Friends of Chicopee Library art show. Misty Spring Woods. It is a piece that I had started a long time ago and never put the finishing touches on. Then I got inspired and finished and framed it to put in that show back in the spring.

Another piece that I had 'in the works' for what seemed like a long time is this piece titled A Break in the Storm. I worked on this at the same time that I was preparing to teach out in Colorado. I brought it with me on the plane and worked on it in airports during layovers.

The third piece that I know I will be putting in the show is this image of Portland Head Light. I used some new techniques on this piece, including some painting and working with fabric markers.

These are not the only pieces that I may have in the show. I hope to finish one or two smaller works to put in the show as well and I have one or two on exhibit elsewhere that may still be available when I have to drop things off down in Middletown.

About Me

Serendipity brought feltmaking into my life at a time when I needed to reconnect with the past and find a way to express my artistic side beyond my rigid dictionary illustration work. The softness of the fibers, the feel of the soapy water, the magic moment when the loose fibers become felt appealed to my unfulfilled need to use my fingers to manipulate the medium. It often feels as though I am just a facilitator for the art, as though the pieces have their own need to be created. There is a kind of conversation that flows from my mind and through my hands into the wool and back again, and during this exchange the questioning mind quiets. My landscapes reflect this sense of peace, creating worlds that invite the viewer to enter and rest in solitude. Through light and shade, the flowing organic lines, and the play of the varying colors the rush and rigidity of daily life falls away. The incredible range of techniques and materials that can be used in felting sustains my enthusiasm and the unpredictability of the way the fibers will blend has encouraged me to let go of the notion that a good artist is one that can render objects that appear realistic. Felting frees my soul.